Sweet...good for you, with no calories?
I love anything and everything that's sweet. Yup, a sweet tooth.
Of course, my body isn't happy about the calories. I don't eat/drink any artificially sweetened things.
Anyone know of a natural ingredient (or extremely easy to make sweet) that is v. portable, sweet, good for you healthwise, with few if any calories? Or is that just my dream of perfection?
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20 Comments:
I do--it is only 12 calories a teaspoon! It's called sugar! And if taken in moderation, it's not that bad for you!
Haha--just kidding. But with sugar, the old adage holds true:"it is the dose that makes the poison." I am a reformed artificial sweetner junkie--now I am down to one packet of Splenda in my morning coffee a day. In small doses, I think artificial sweetners are fine. Also, for a caloric comparison, Splenda does have calories--3 per packet, carefully under the legal limit of what is a no calorie substance according to law. So you're saving 9 calories or so and getting more sweetness. I know someone will jump in and promote Stevia, which has a certain amount of cache because it comes from a plant. I've had it before and found it quite unpleasant, personally. Agave nectar isn't that portable, does have some calories, but is a source of very concentrated sweetness. Lemon, lime, herbal teas, honey, can all be sources of added flavoring.
Whatever you choose to use, I guess the answer is--use it in small amounts. For me, the more added sweetner I use, the more I want to use...that added sweetner. Trying to dry out of adding anything for a week is a good idea--even if you go back to some sugar, you'll need less.
HeartofGlass at 7:48AM on 07/25/09
@heartofglass - loved your answer to this question.... especially "it is the dose that makes the poison" .... so true.... a little goes a long way... and sweetness is an addiction, the more you have the more you want...
all very well put.....
pooch at 8:58AM on 07/25/09
fruit in season.
cybercita at 10:14AM on 07/25/09
i am in total agreement w/heartofglass: sugar, sugar, sugar.
gastronomeg at 10:44AM on 07/25/09
@pooch & @gastronomeg--thanks! I am only trying to share the painful wisdom learned after many years of unsatisfied artificial sweetner hell--easily consuming more calories with SF products than regular products with sugar. If the OP is worried about health concerns, and is not a diabetic, Sugar in the Raw has a nice 'crunchy' wholesome reputation (and is actually more crunchy in general). It is by no means a health food, but in small doses, it is fine.
HeartofGlass at 10:49AM on 07/25/09
I don't know much about it so you'll have to look into it but I've heard some good things about stevia.
bigfatmouth at 1:59PM on 07/25/09
Artificial sweeteners are evil. They keep you hooked on sugar.
SqueezeBottle at 7:20PM on 07/25/09
Also, there's all that research about how artificial sweeteners stimulate your appetite. I tried doing the Dasani flavored water and just wound up constantly craving snacks. I made myself like water and started eating small quantities of chocolate chips, and I lost weight.
sorahatch at 8:17PM on 07/25/09
@heart - i was using agave nectar for awhile and found out it's very high in calories and causes a fatty liver..... now i'm back to 1-2 teaspoons in my coffee.... stick to the real thing. honey sometimes in tea.
i agree @squeezebottle - artificial sweeteners are evil... and they usually have a weird taste or after-taste....
pooch at 8:18PM on 07/25/09
I also recommend stevia. It's an herb that's sold dried and crushed into a powder as a sweetener and has no calories. It also comes in packets so you can pack them to bring to work and have in your coffee or tea.
yayfood at 8:58PM on 07/25/09
Extremely delicious, insanely expensive chocolate. The kind where they charge by the piece, or where you can buy a box with two or four pieces... Seriously, that stuff taught me how to savor a piece of chocolate for a long, long time. And if you only eat one piece instead of a couple of handfull of M&Ms, you're way ahead of the game.
dbcurrie at 9:32PM on 07/25/09
I have to put in a plug for stevia too. Some people find it bitter or licorice tasting, and I guess depending on the brand it is. But I buy it in the packets, and this stuff is powerful. You can't really use it to bake or anything as it isn't a bulking ingredient, but for drinks or whipped cream etc. it is fantastic. And it isn't artificial! Yay stevia!
Beanalicious1 at 1:22AM on 07/26/09
@dbcurrie - same here with good quality chocolate.... a piece or two really satisfies in a big way.... i've also been getting green & black organic chocolate 85% ... keep it in the freezer and have a square or two after dinner to take the edge off. better than a bowl of ice cream....
anyone used truvia yet? i have a box of stevia.... haven't really used it because i'm sticking to my 1-2 tsp. organic sugar.... and how about zero?
pooch at 7:44AM on 07/26/09
i stay away from artificial anything... so my idea to you is to sweeten things with agave nectar... I use it the exact same way I use honey.
And remember, calories are not your enemy. A sedentary life and not exercising/moving your body is.
MadelynRodriguez at 9:21AM on 07/26/09
FRUIT. seriously. You might want to try "reset"-ing your body's understanding of where the line is between "sweet" and "not sweet." try not eating anything sweetened with sugar (or artificially stuff) for a week or so. Then eat a granny smith apple or some in-season, really ripe peaches or strawberries or watermelon. Let foods that are naturally sweet in and of themselves be the "sweet" things in your diet. You can't go wrong with a piece of fruit.
And the occasional small piece of very dark, very expensive chocolate!
wasliche at 12:08PM on 07/27/09
I agree with @wasliche except I trick my brain a bit and make them into popsicles, so it feels like more of a treat! You don't even need popsicle molds--use an ice cube tray, put foil on top and poke toothpicks through the foil. Then after freezing, peel off the foil and the toothpicks are frozen into the juice pulp.
Sometimes I just buy a bag of already-frozen strawberries and eat those too. Or make a smoothie and freeze the leftover smoothie.
inothernews at 12:45PM on 07/27/09
readi-whip or cool whip! with fruit or by itself- tastes sooo much worse than it is
alyssaduffy13 at 4:55PM on 08/12/09
Cherries in season they are so sweet! also peaches that drip down your face!!
rabbitriddle at 5:00PM on 08/12/09
I personally love honey and use it as much as I can.
I hate artificial sweeteners of all kinds, I can totally taste them.
Tried agave? It's supposed to be good (slightly citrus)?
hungrychristel at 5:22PM on 08/12/09
I'm all for fruit, especially watermelon. Make a granita and you've got a rather classy dessert. Or popsicles.
And I've tried agave nectar, it's really good, no weird aftertaste, though not sure about the calorie count on that. Stevia's got a very strange aftertaste that I don't care for.
I also like frozen grapes whenever I want something sweet.
AnnieNT at 5:30PM on 08/12/09